Not Fast Enough
by ZoeAyitian
Summary: A slightly edited version of my original "Not Fast Enough" fanfiction. "But, alas, not every speedster reaches their destination in time."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my first fanfiction ever! I don't know if I did good but I'd really appreciate it if you guys could read and review. Please and thank you!**

**Edited note: So I don't know what happened but the first chapter got all messed up. I tried to fix it as best as I can so if there are any mistakes, I apologize.**

"How much longer?," Wally whined into the mind link, causing Artemis to roll her eyes. "I'm bored."

"We've only been here for 15 minutes, Baywatch," Artemis exasperated. Sometimes she wondered how he could even stand still for 30 seconds.

The team was spying and infiltrating an interaction deal between Sportsmaster and Lex Luthor. Batman had specifically told them not to get involved unless they had to.

"Wally moved over to Artemis as quietly as he could and whispered in her ear suggestively, "Imagine what we could do in 15 minutes.

"Artemis fought the urge to roll her eyes again, simply elbowing Wally in the ribs and smiling after hearing the satisfying yelp that escaped his lips. "Focus on the mission," she ordered, earning a pout and a grumble from hers truly.

"I guess we know who wears the pants in the relationship," Robin cackled, receiving a glare from his best friend.

The whole team fell silent as Sportsmaster arrived outside the warehouse. Wally instinctively put an arm around Artemis, acting as her protection. In the past, Artemis tensed when he physically touched her but now she sees it as comforting. They have been dating for a while now, always having each other's backs on missions and cherishing one anothers time. Missions like this where past members of her life showed up causes Wally to act as a bodyguard for his girlfriend

As Sportsmaster entered the warehouse, the team followed him inside, making sure to stay up in the ceiling and far away from the ground. M'gann, being the first to spot him as he descended into the dimly lit area, stated "I have eyes on Sportsmaster...he looks pretty angry.

She was right. Sportsmaster looked like someone ran over his pet dinosaur, swinging his javelin violently in the air. His face became angrier as he approached the infamous Lex Luthor./p

Inside, Lex Luthor was surrounded by men in expensive black suits and black glasses, each holding big, heavy gray cases.

"Luthor!" he growled loudly, catching everyone's attention. "You were supposed to send the explosive devices weeks ago!" Sportsmaster shouted.

Luthor merely smiled, clearly unfazed by the anger of Sportsmaster. "Patience my friend," Lex spoke smoothly as he took a small round device out of his pocket and examined it thoroughly, "These advanced pieces of technology take time to create and test. Other people want to invest. I'm thinking of...increasing the price."

This comment only made the angry Sportsmaster become furious. "I paid my price already! I need those explosives, now!" he exclaimed loudly causing Artemis to flinch as old memories clouded her mind of how her father used to yell at her that way when she refused to kill or didn't do something correctly that Jade did flawlessly. She shook her head, trying to remove the memories.

Wally sensed her uneasiness and gave her a look asking "you okay?". Smiling at his concern, she gave him a slight nod and reverted her eyes back to the angry man below.

"I understand you're upset—," Luthor started but was interrupted.

"You have no idea what I've had to do to save my ass from Ra's Al Ghul because of your so-called 'patience'," Sportsmaster grunted.

"It seems as though the products have been delayed for sometime now—," Kaldur started.

"—and Sportsmater is not too happy about it," Robin continued.

"Give me my explosives today, or else," Sportsmaster threatens.

"And what if I don't," Luthor challenged with narrowed eyes, "Remember I own the explosive and I own you. Whatever you're thinking about doing, I suggest you calm down before you do something that will end up with one of us," Luthor pointed to Sportsmaster, "gravely injured."

"Bring it on baldy," Sportsmaster said, holding his palm in the air, signaling for men in black to file into the warehouse, "I want my explosives and I want them now." Sportsmaster said with a sinister smile.

Luthor responded with a sick smile of his own. "Then let the fun begin."

The first gunshot was subtle, shot by one of Lex's men. And that's when all hell broke loose.

Gunshots rang throughout the building. Men were shouting and shooting everything that moved in sight. The team jumped down from their spots in the ceiling, taking the explosives out of range of the gunfire and attempting to stop the crime war that had just started.

Kaldur moved fast through the crowd of men, butterfly kicking a man with a knife into a corner. "M'gann do you think you can levitate the men's guns away or-"

"Or stop the bullets!" Wally interrupted as he barely made it past the speeding bullets hurtling towards him.

"I can't! There's," M'gann says as she tries to concentrate the mind link while telepathically throwing men across the room, "there are too many of them! I-I'm too distracted!"

"I'll get the last explosive device," Artemis states.

Luthor spots Artemis as she fights viciously through the men, discovering where she was determined to get to.

"Naive little child," Lex says as he pulls a gun out from his back, "You heroes never learn."

Wally saw Luthor's high-tech gun throughout the fighting. He saw the gun Lex aimed at Artemis. He didn't even realize his feet were moving until he saw flashes of black and grey go by quickly.

"Artemis!" Wally screamed causing the team to stop their fighting and look in Artemis' direction.

Everything was in slow motion as Wally ran, the screaming for Artemis, the sounds of guns booming in the background, the way Artemis turned at the mention of her name.

He was so close, almost able to reach out and grab the bullet. But, alas, not every speedster reaches their destination in time.

Wally watched as the bullet struck Artemis in the chest and saw her face contort from confusion to shock to pain. Wally was there to catch his girlfriend just before she hit the ground.

"B-baywatch I-," Artemis struggled to speak but coughed violently.

"Shhh, beautiful. Save your breath," Wally choked.

The blood flowed quickly from Artemis' wound and stained Wally's yellow uniform into a deep orange. He frantically tried to stop the bleeding with the arm of his suit, causing Artemis to whimper, but the blood refused to clot.

Artemis' eyes fluttered open and closed, fighting a battle within herself to stay conscious. Her stormy grey eyes finally closed shut, despite Wally's rough shaking. He screamed for her to stay awake, to stay alive. But her pulse was faint and her heart was beating slow. It was only a matter of time before she finally…

Tears pricked the corner of Wally's eyes as he held his girlfriend's limp form close. "No…"

**So that's it. I may try to make more chapters depending on how lazy I am but, for now, read and review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is the second chapter! Enjoy!**

Everything happened in a blur.

"Artemis!" M'gann screeched loudly.

"_Team, fall back, now!" _Kaldur ordered through the mindlink.

Wally was the first one gone, zooming out of the warehouse, not even caring about the flailing bullets or the teammates he's leaving behind. All he cares about is the cold, unmoving form he holds in his arms.

Wally rushes to the Bio-ship that's been brought closer to the building by M'gann. He yells into the mind link "_M'gann open up the Bio-ship!"_

"_On it," _M'gann responded, her voice shaky.

The team finally exited the warehouse spotting their red-headed friend as he rushed into the disguised ship. They hastily followed him inside.

M'gann was already creating a medical table as she rushed to take control of the ship, continuing on a fast route to Mount Justice.

Zatanna and Robin quickly hook Artemis' pale and sweaty form up to an IV and try to stop the blood that flows mercilessly out of the blonde archer.

"I-I don't think she's breathing," Zatanna says whispers shakily, "Guys, she's not breathing!"

The team looks up to see a pale Artemis with blue lips and blood rounding the corners of her mouth, not taking a single intake of oxygen.

"M'gann can't you make the ship go any faster!" Wally yells desperately.

"I-I'm, I-It's—" M'gann stutters just before Superboy cuts her off.

"She's trying," he growls tiredly while trying to console his girlfriend's shaking form. He tries not to look at his blonde friend, clearly shaken up by this entire mission.

Kaldur decides to contact the league informing them of their current situation. Meanwhile, Robin, being the resourceful person he is, pulls multiple gauze out of a compartment in his uniform and quickly placing a stack on the source of the bleeding.

Wally watches helplessly as his team does everything they can to save his archer. He thinks back to the time when he had gotten several injuries due to a couple of bone crushing ice rays initiated by Killer Frost aimed for Artemis. Artemis and him were lying in the MedBay, her arms encircled around his bandaged torso. They talked about their future and how much of an idiot he was. She was so worried and so very angry at him. Even though she would never admit it, he knew she was afraid that one day, somehow he would leave her. Whether it be from simply not wanting her anymore or of death. Even after the countless attempts to assure her that would never happen (and doing that after almost dying may not have been the best time to try), she still had her doubts. Of course, her family upbringing would be at fault for those thoughts.

That's why, no matter what, she wanted to be the first one to go. She didn't care how it happened. She just wanted to make sure her annoying speedster lives to see tomorrow. Wally always knew that was what she wanted but never agreed with her resolution. That's why he did everything in his power to jump in front of every poisonous vine or killer death ray.

But this time he wasn't fast enough. This time he forgot to keep an eye on her. This time he let his guard down for one moment. And it cost him dearly.

Eventually, the team stopped the bleeding just as the ship landed on Mt. Justice. Artemis' pulse was so weak that you had to concentrate hard to feel it.

Once Wally came back into reality and realized where he was, he quickly picked up the flaccid body and whisked it into the MedBay.

Black Canary was already in the room, having everything set up with a worried expression on her face.

"Thank you, Wally, I can take care of it from here," she said with a small, almost inaudible crack in her voice.

"I'm not leaving." Wally stated with finality.

"Wally, I am only going to say this once," Black Canary started with narrowed eyes and her lips set into a straight line, "You will leave me to work on Artemis or I will use my scream to blow you out of this room and make sure you are the last person to see her when I finish."

Wally stares back at her with an angry expression on his face. They stayed that way for what seemed like hours before he gave a defeated sigh and placed Artemis down on the cot before leaving the room slowly.

The last thing he saw was Black Canary working frantically on Artemis just before he rounded the corner.

**Okay! That's the second chapter. I know this is a bit shorter than the first and may not be very good but I kinda like it. Also I've put this off long enough, it was time R&R please and thank you! (;**


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